DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS

This Christian mystery follows a police chief's wife as she tries to unravel the threads of murder, theft, and an apparent suicide. Beneath its blatant preaching, the story does offer a decent crime plot. Johanna Parker's soft voice suits the genre, although she sometimes blurs the characters of Chief Gabe Ortiz and his wife, Benni Harper. Others, however, receive clear differentiation, particularly children of white, black, and Latino heritage. Parker nails the accents without over-performing them and avoids making the children sound squeaky and stupid. Her gentle voice presents the rest of the lessons as if in a Sunday school classroom, albeit without the condescension present in many Christian performances. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]